Can opener



D. LUBETSKY CAN OPENER 7 Jul 25, 1944.

' Filed Nov. -1, i945 INVEN TOR. v Davis? Labels/$1 fiZZ'eM' I Patented July 25, 1944 h N lT ED I ST T PATEN om n] OAN OPENER a 7 David Lubetsky,De'troit, Mich. Application November 1, 1943, Serial No. 508,551

The width of this annular abutment is of course merely the thickness of the material 'of which the head is formed, and is consequently quite narrow. 4 7

At the resent time there are can openers on the market wherein a rotary member consisting of a gear or serrated roller is rotatedag'ainst this annular abutment to impart rotary movecut to the opener around the head of a can. Due however to the fact'that the abutment is so narrow the width 'of the contact surface provided" for the rotary member is very restricted and consequently 'the member quickly wears outand the can opener is of no further use.

"It is an object of this" invention to provide a can opener, wherein 'a rotary 'member is so arranged that it bears against a contact surface of much greater width so that the wear is distributed over a proportionately greater width of the member periphery. To'this end the rotary memberis arranged'to travel upon the end face of the annular flange or upon the central portion of the U'-formation of the head,'the width of which is twice the thickness of the head material plus the thickness of the material of which the body is formed. I

Another object of the invention is to provide such a can opener wherein a guide is provided which is moved into position to slidingly engage the annular abutment above referred to so that thejrotary member. is held inbontact with the .said flange during its travel and'thusthe blade 'carried with the rotary member is retained in cutting position; and wherein an operating crank ,for turning the rotary member is pivotally mounted upon the shaft to'permit its movement into positionjtoj set the guide against the annular abutment.

A furtherobject of the invention is to provide such a can opener including a camming means for readily setting the guide against the annular abutment prior to commencement of the cutting operation and for retaining the guide in position throughout the said operation.

Having thus briefly outlined some of the major objects and advantages of the invention, I will now describe a preferred embodiment thereo with the aid of the accompanying drawing in which: Figure 1 illustrates aside elevation of the invention when in use.

Figure 2 is an enlarged elevation showing the opener in engagement with a can.

Figure 3 is a section on-the line 3-3 of Figure 1. i

Figure 4 is a side view partly in section where'- in the crank is also indicated in its inclined position engaging the lifter.

Figure 5 is a detail showing the camming mem} 'bers' on the lifter and slide'with the latter in position. 1

Figure 6 is a similar View showing the slide raised to top position, and

Figure 7 is another similar view showing the lifter and slide in operating position.

Referring to the drawing, I designates a spindle having a drive member 2, usually consisting of a gear or serrated roller, and a circular blade 3 fixed on one extremity and a crank 4 attached to the other. In the present instance the drive member 2 and blade 3 each have a multi-si'ded opening therethrough whichreceives a corre- V spondingly shaped extremity la of the spindle l. The crank 4 has opposed ears 5 which extend on opposite sides of the spindle l to which they are secured by a pin 6, so that rotation of the crankturns the spindle, and the crank may also be swung pivotally about the pin 6. Extending from the crank 4 intermediately of its length is a projection 1.

Mounted for free rotation upon the spindle intermediately of its length is a lifter 8 having a laterally disposed camming member 9 thereon, and I0 denotes a slide'having an elongated slot l I therethrough through which the spindle I ext'ends and which is mounted on the spindle 'between the lifter 8 and the drive member 2. Formed on the underside of the slide I0 is a camming face I2 with which the cammingmember 8 cooperates. Moreover it will be noted that the coacting surfaces of the camming member 9 and face l2 are preferably so shaped that when they are fully engaged, Figure '7, there is no tendency for them to slip accidentally out of engagement due to their cupped formation. In

the lifter 8 intermediately of its length an aperwhile the remainder of the outer face is spaced therefrom.

The can includes a cylindrical body A having identical heads B (one of which is shown) at its ends. Each head has a U-shaped flange at its periphery and the U-formation lies adjacent and The can opener is placed with the circular blade 3 against one head B and the drive member is pressed down against the flange D thereby piercing the head with the blade. 4 is then swung pivotally on its pin 6 so that the projection 1 engages the aperture l3. The crank 4 is then turned thereby moving the lifter 8 so that its camming member 9 moves around the camming face l2 of the slide successively through the positions shown in Figures and 6 to that shown in Figure '7. Then the rotary guide I4 is in contact with the annular abutment C and insures retention of the drive member in contact with the flange D.

The crank 4 is then moved pivotally to release the, projection I from the aperture I3 and is again turned in the same direction whereupon the member travels around upon the flange D and at the same time the rotary blade 3 cuts the head B. After the center of the latter has been completely severed the crank 4 is again swung pivotally so that the aperture [3 is engaged by the projection I, then the crank is rotated'in the opposite direction to release the rotary guide I4 from the abutment C and permit removal of the can opener.

While in the foregoing the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described and shown, it is understood that alterations and modifications may be made thereto provided they fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

'1. A can opener including a spindle, a crank ;for turning the spindle, a drive member fixed on the spindle for rotation therewith adapted to rotate around upon a peripheral margin of an end of a can, a blade carried by the spindle adapted to pierce said can end and cut the latter as the 'neath the rotary member, coacting camming faces on said lifter and slide whereby the latter is raised relative to the rotary member by movement of the lifter in one direction, a crank pivot'ed on the spindle for turning the latter, and

'lcoadting means on the, crank and lifter for turning the latter when the crank is rotated when the crank is moved pivotally on the spindle.

The crank 3. A can opener including a spindle, means for turning said spindle, a drive member and a blade fixed on said spindle, a slide mounted on the spindle for movement transversely thereof, a camming member rotatable on the spindle cooperating with the slide for movement of the latter, a rotary guide carried by the slide, and means for rotating the camming member.

4. A can opener including a spindle, means for rotating the latter, a circular drive member and a circular blade fixed on the spindle, a slide mounted on the spindle for movement at right angles to the spindle axis, said slide having a camming face thereon, a rotary guide carried by ,the slide, a camming member rotatable on the spindle having a camming face thereon to cooperate with the aforesaid camming face, and means for turning the camming member.

5. A can opener including a spindle, means for rotating the latter, a drive member fixed on the spindle adapted to be rotated upon a peripheral flange on one end of a can, a circular blade-fixed on the spindle adapted to pierce said can end and cut the latter as the spindle is rotated, a

slide having an elongated slot therethrough 'through which the spindle extends, the slide 7 fixed on the spindle adapted to pierce said can end and cut the latter as the spindle is rotated,

a slide having an elongated slot therethrough through which the spindle extends, a camming face on one extremity of the slide, a rotary guide projecting from one side of the slide, a. camming member freely rotatable on the spindle having a camming face upon one extremity tocoact with the aforesaid camming face whereby the rotary guide is moved toward the drive member to engage an annular abutment upon said can, said coacting camming faces including means tending to retain the guide in contact with the abutment, and means for turning the camming member.

7. A can opener including a spindle, means for rotating the latter, a drive member and a blade fixed on the spindle for rotation therewith, the drive member being adapted -.to travel around upon an annular flange on one end of a can and the blade beingadapted to pierce said can end and to cut the'latter as the spindle is rotated, a

slide mounted for transverse movement on the spindle, -a rotary guide on the slide, a camming member rotatable on the spindle cooperating with said slide for moving .the rotary member into engagement with an annular abutment on the can and toward the drive member, means for retaining the rotary guide in engagement with said abutment, and means for turning the camming member.

DAVID LUBETSKY. 

